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Even after Belarus gained independence as a result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, it maintained close political and social ties to Russia. Since 1994, Belarusians have lived under a strict authoritarian government that limits civil liberties. The Belarusian economy is described as “market socialism.” The per capita income is $11,600, and more than half of all workers are employed in services. According to official reports, 64 percent of all the unemployed are female. Because of this and the persistent wage gap, females are disproportionately represented in the 21 percent of the population that lives in poverty. Nearly three-fourths of the population is urbanized. Ethnically, 81.2 [Page 145]percent of the population is Belarusian, and 11.4 percent is Russian. There is little ...